The point certainly isn’t to escape death — it’s to remember we were never meant to live numbly. The real crisis isn’t mortality, it’s meaninglessness. When we forget that we matter — that we are meaning in motion — nihilism fills the void. But when we live in relationship with life, not at its expense, the point becomes clear: to feel, to care, to connect, to create. Not because it lasts forever — but because we showed up anyway.
Beautifully put, and I agree with it all. Except I don't know that nihilism fills the void so much as that it puts up a wall between us and the void, which protects us from pain to some degree but also separates us from the mystery—which ultimately creates an even greater pain of feeling disconnected from life.
Choosing Hope. Choosing Love. I appreciate this well timed peice ✨ Your words are appreciated and shared with others in my sphere. Choosing hope one person at a time. With strength. - Heather💚
In earlier times, death was so common that philosophies arose claiming that to truly live one needed to face one's death. Not from growing old, but from the brutalities of life.
Children died all the time. Women died in childbirth. War and poverty were always around the corner. My ancestors never looked to the horizon without assuming something bad could be coming. They taught their children to prepare for bad times. And they were right to warn them.
We thought we were exempt. The folly of that.
The ancients told us that we must find meaning, and that meaning is best found when we contemplate our mortality, our children's mortality, and all the suffering human flesh is heir to.
My father died at 47. In horrific pain. But he didn't say, "Why me? This shouldn't happen to me. I had children but I won't live to see them marry or give me grandchildren." He knew that was always a possibility. I wrote a Father's Day tribute to him titled "For My Father, Who Died Young." You can find it on my stack if you're interested.
Young people, middle-aged people, please. Nihilism is not an option. Not. An. Option.
We can't escape entropy it must be accepted - i think this is the point of sand art. This is hard, this is an acceptance of death, then there is freedom to fight your daily entropy battles with calm acceptance.
I have another perspective. Perhaps there’s an error in certain assumptions. What if there is no end? Sure, the physical form returns to its rightful home to nourish Life, just as it was nourished by Life. Our consciousnesses though, now that’s a whole ‘nother matter, evolution being what it is. Word has it, we get to play on…and on…and…
That is the view I tend to hold, and it definitely makes it easier, I think, to find a deeper peace and meaning in life. And at the same time we are still confronted with the death of this form. Absolute and relative. But yes, such an important perspective to bring in here!
As many others do, I believe that the reason Nihilism is once again gaining ground on Hope is due to our turning away from God. Especially in Western societies, we have it "too good". The more we learn about the existence of God in our lives, the less we become focused on ourselves, a must have for Hope. Not caring about our future is also--in many ways--irresponsible and selfish. For if we don't, we become a burden on others. Relativism is the root of Nihilism. Altruism is the fountain of Hope.
Nihilism looks like the surrender to complete separation from God and nature. It is defeat, where the human believes their individual actions have no impact or connection to reality. It is the fullest expression of DOUBT. The meaning and purpose of humanity's role in the ecosystem isn't consciously known nor embodied. That perspective occurs when the person recognizes that everyone appears to be stuck in the same meat grinder loop on repeat. If someone is truly stuck in a collapse loop, then action, sacred communion, and devotion are required to step outside of that cycle. Nihilism should be an alarm bell that the society is becoming very ill. Discernment is required to identify nihilism as either; a product of one's own choices or the inherited cycles intentionally designed to promote identity collapse into nihilism as a form of deviance containment. Who's to say that deviance from the loop isn't exactly what is needed? Hope needs direction and flow to pour into.
The point certainly isn’t to escape death — it’s to remember we were never meant to live numbly. The real crisis isn’t mortality, it’s meaninglessness. When we forget that we matter — that we are meaning in motion — nihilism fills the void. But when we live in relationship with life, not at its expense, the point becomes clear: to feel, to care, to connect, to create. Not because it lasts forever — but because we showed up anyway.
Beautifully put, and I agree with it all. Except I don't know that nihilism fills the void so much as that it puts up a wall between us and the void, which protects us from pain to some degree but also separates us from the mystery—which ultimately creates an even greater pain of feeling disconnected from life.
Choosing Hope. Choosing Love. I appreciate this well timed peice ✨ Your words are appreciated and shared with others in my sphere. Choosing hope one person at a time. With strength. - Heather💚
“Choosing hope one person at a time” — yes to this 💗
In earlier times, death was so common that philosophies arose claiming that to truly live one needed to face one's death. Not from growing old, but from the brutalities of life.
Children died all the time. Women died in childbirth. War and poverty were always around the corner. My ancestors never looked to the horizon without assuming something bad could be coming. They taught their children to prepare for bad times. And they were right to warn them.
We thought we were exempt. The folly of that.
The ancients told us that we must find meaning, and that meaning is best found when we contemplate our mortality, our children's mortality, and all the suffering human flesh is heir to.
My father died at 47. In horrific pain. But he didn't say, "Why me? This shouldn't happen to me. I had children but I won't live to see them marry or give me grandchildren." He knew that was always a possibility. I wrote a Father's Day tribute to him titled "For My Father, Who Died Young." You can find it on my stack if you're interested.
Young people, middle-aged people, please. Nihilism is not an option. Not. An. Option.
So much wisdom here. I look forward to reading your piece about your father ❤️
A fine piece on understanding Nietzsche it helped me.
I’m so glad. I studied Nietzsche a lot in college and his words always stuck with me!
We can't escape entropy it must be accepted - i think this is the point of sand art. This is hard, this is an acceptance of death, then there is freedom to fight your daily entropy battles with calm acceptance.
This was just what I needed to read today. Thank you for some hope.
Here's to hope and helping each other out ❤️❤️❤️
I have another perspective. Perhaps there’s an error in certain assumptions. What if there is no end? Sure, the physical form returns to its rightful home to nourish Life, just as it was nourished by Life. Our consciousnesses though, now that’s a whole ‘nother matter, evolution being what it is. Word has it, we get to play on…and on…and…
Looping Love<3
That is the view I tend to hold, and it definitely makes it easier, I think, to find a deeper peace and meaning in life. And at the same time we are still confronted with the death of this form. Absolute and relative. But yes, such an important perspective to bring in here!
:) The mysteries abound!
@Emma Simpson I think you’ll enjoy the content here x
oh yes. Have subscribed x
As many others do, I believe that the reason Nihilism is once again gaining ground on Hope is due to our turning away from God. Especially in Western societies, we have it "too good". The more we learn about the existence of God in our lives, the less we become focused on ourselves, a must have for Hope. Not caring about our future is also--in many ways--irresponsible and selfish. For if we don't, we become a burden on others. Relativism is the root of Nihilism. Altruism is the fountain of Hope.
Nihilism looks like the surrender to complete separation from God and nature. It is defeat, where the human believes their individual actions have no impact or connection to reality. It is the fullest expression of DOUBT. The meaning and purpose of humanity's role in the ecosystem isn't consciously known nor embodied. That perspective occurs when the person recognizes that everyone appears to be stuck in the same meat grinder loop on repeat. If someone is truly stuck in a collapse loop, then action, sacred communion, and devotion are required to step outside of that cycle. Nihilism should be an alarm bell that the society is becoming very ill. Discernment is required to identify nihilism as either; a product of one's own choices or the inherited cycles intentionally designed to promote identity collapse into nihilism as a form of deviance containment. Who's to say that deviance from the loop isn't exactly what is needed? Hope needs direction and flow to pour into.